Light and Lies
by KDN89
Summary: To escape countless confessions from Daisuke and other boys, Hikari fakes a relationship with Takeru. It never occurred to her though that she just might enjoy "dating" her best friend. Takari with several other couples alluded to (all canonical, despite my bias towards Taiora). Rated T 'cause sultry things are discussed and some underage drinking.
1. Chapter 01: Yagamis Are Tricksters

**A/N: **I don't know why, but I really like using the Japanese names for people and English names for Digimon. No honorifics are added because I am not 100% sure when to use certain ones.  
Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 1: Yagamis Are Tricksters**

Hikari sighed.

Maybe it was the post-save-two-worlds lull, but high school was much more monotonous than adventurous. That time BlackWarGreymon flung her around the landscape like a ragdoll with a lone Terra Destroyer? She couldn't believe she actually missed that. At least getting her butt handed to her in near-mortal combat was a break from the daily routine that was now polished, immaculate clockwork.

Wake-up to her brother's pestering. Class. Class. Miyako! Class. Gym. Daisuke confesses. Lunch. Class. Takeru! Class. Boy #5264B confesses. Class. Dancing! Pestering brother. Sleep.

Hikari sighed again as she rounded the corner to her locker, hoping that another random guy would not impede her progress. Somehow even the confessions were just another cog in the clock; since the second generation of Chosen entered high school, about 60% of the student body became inclined towards hers and Takeru's bodies. The first time a boy confessed to her, Kari was taken aback by the surprise but now it had become so routine that she might as well carry a tape recorder gently replying:  
"I'm sorry, but I don't even know many upperclassmen and underclassmen and thus cannot return your feelings. I wish you all the happiness possible though."

Still, the confessions were becoming taxing on her, especially when certain boys would return for repeat attempts. With each declination, her suitor would become crestfallen and walk away with a feigned smile. It broke her heart just as much to hurt people. How was any of this fair?

Having reached her destination, Hikari shuffled around the contents of her locker before checking the wall clock.  
12:05PM.  
_Speaking of repeat suitors. . . .  
_Any moment now, Daisuke would poke his head around and invite her to a lunch date. It amazed her how the goggle-head could maintain such a strong interest in her every day when she was still sweaty from sprinting around the track all last period.

Five years and that boy held onto his crush. He always insisted that if he was given one chance, he'd make it worth her while but the offer was always met with a shake of the head. She just wasn't romantically attracted to him.  
Actually, she just wasn't romantically interested in anyone she could think of so far, even though dating would likely break the dull day-to-day cycle. She just wasn't too keen on anyone who showed an interest in her.

BANG!

The young Yagami pulled her head from the depths of her locker to find her best friend Takeru with his cheek to his own locker's door, his eyes closed and some mutant hybrid of a gargle and a snore emitting from his drooling mouth.  
She smiled.  
It was a rarity for Takeru to leave History in time for a full lunch period, as Mr. Miyazawa could normally drone on until the Fifth Period bell. Judging by the blonde's state, he had awoken from his lecture-induced coma solely because a classmate told him, "We ended early. Escape now while you can!"

"Hey, 'Keru," she playfully nudged him. "You can actually eat a full lunch today. Wake up and refuel."  
She poked his bellybutton. She shook him lightly by the shoulders. She pulled at his free cheek like it was a rubber band.  
When all else failed, she pried open her lunch box and carefully crammed a rice ball into his open gob. Pushing it gently further into his maw, she only stopped when a sudden HURK! told her Takeru was finally awake. The young Takaishi quickly assessed his new whereabouts, his locker in front of him, Hikari beaming, something squishy lodged in the back of his mouth. Realizing it was food, he slowly chewed before smiling back at his best friend.

"Hika, did you make this?" he inquired when his mouth was finally empty.  
"Yeah, cooking skills skip generations in my family," she giggled. "Taichi and I lucked out."  
"Your kids are going to have to marry gastroenterologists then," Takeru joined her in laughing.

"Hey, Takeru, want to join me for lunch?" the brunette girl asked when the pair finally fished out their materials for their Sixth Period classes. "We almost never get to eat together at school anymore."  
Her companion peered into the sack lunch his brother handed him on the way out the door earlier. Inside was 500 yen and a note reading: "It was this or the fuzzy leftovers."  
". . . Sure, I just need to stop by a vending machine," Takeru sighed. Maybe if he was lucky, he could mooch off Hikari this time and repay the favor later.

"HIKARI! WANT TO EAT TOGETHER TODAY?"

Daisuke excitedly sauntered over to his fellow Chosen. Bundled in his arms was a boxed lunched much too large for a single person. Hikari smile faltered. Despite knowing her platonic feelings towards him, Daisuke was somehow steadily increasing his efforts to woo her.

_Lucky Miyako._

Almost like a high school romance flick, after ditching her glasses and cardigan, Miyako had garnered the attention of a throng of boys in her class. However, unlike the Child of Light, the lavender-haired girl was public (and excessively vocal) about her relationship with Ken, effectively pulling both the beauty and the heartthrob off the market. With both Miyako and Ken being unavailable, she was no longer being harassed by confessors left-and-right (although unfortunately for her friends, several boys and girls jumped onto the Yagami and Takaishi bandwagons).

_I wish I had a boyfriend. Maybe then it'd be enough to deter Daisuke so I wouldn't have to hurt his feelings and pride every day. . . ._

"So Hikari, how about that lunch date?"

Hikari blinked. Daisuke and Takeru were now staring at her, having wrapped up whatever jovial exchange they had while she spaced out.

A thought flashed through her brain.

"Sorry, Daisuke, but didn't you hear?" she declined politely. She reached over grabbed Takeru's arm before pulling him close.

"I'm dating Takeru now."

Like their team leader, her "boyfriend" stared at her in shock.  
He didn't know they were dating either.

**A/N:** I actually started writing this about a month before I found out about the manga "Nisekoi", and even though I love that series (it's now one of my favorite mangas), this story is not based on "Nisekoi"; they just have kind of a similar premise.


	2. Chapter 02: Ishidas Are Charmers

**Chapter 02: Ishidas Are Charmers  
**"So if you're dating me, no one else can ask you out without being a jerk?"

Hikari nodded sheepishly. Luckily, a private lunch on the school's roof with her "boyfriend" prevented anyone else from seeing how embarrassed she was for putting them in this situation.

"I never thought the ol' Yagami mischievousness affected their daughters too," he teased.

"I just didn't want to keep hurting guys like Daisuke by constantly turning them down," she admitted with a faint blush. "Now that I'm 'unavailable', maybe they can find someone who _does_ reciprocate their feelings and get a happily ever after."  
"Plus it might keep some of the fangirls from swarming you between classes," she added hopefully.

Takeru could feel it coming. He might regret it later, but he still locked eyes with is best friend.

"Pleeeeease, 'Keru?"

There they were. The kitty cat eyes. Not a soul could deny those pleading crimson eyes. Some way, somehow, Gatomon managed to teach her Chosen partner Cat's Eye Hypnotism.

"Alright, I'm in," he huffed with smile. "But we need to plan this carefully if we want everyone to really think we're dating, Hika."  
"We're already best friends, Takeru," she giggled. "It's not like we have to learn each other's favorite movie, book, and food."  
"Probably, but at least the basketball and dance teams are going to bombard us with questions about our relationship," the blond explained, "like who confessed to whom?"

"I know I'm asking a lot," Hikari started while pressing her index fingers together, "but can you be the one to confess first?"  
Takeru chuckled. "This was literally all your idea. We just ended an entire conversation about how and why you asked me to be your boyfriend."  
"I know but it's really embarrassing if I tell people 'Well, it seemed like a good at the time'." The shade of red on her face almost matched her eyes. "I'm not an adept storyteller like you, Takeru. . . ."

"Alright," Takeru relented. With a grin, he met her gaze and spoke, "I brought you under the tree we used to play under as kids. It was a chilly night, so I wrapped my jacket over your shoulders and cupped your face between my hands to keep your cheeks warm. When I looked into your eyes at that moment, I couldn't help but tell you that I was in love with my best friend."

"Oh, Takeru, that's so swee—"

"And you promptly responded by sneezing directly into my face."

". . . Really, Takeru?" she asked him dryly.

"Hey, if it was some picture-perfect movie-moment, nobody would believe it," he mused, that same silly grin still plastered on his face. "But if we both admit to something both adorable and embarrassing, it's more credible."  
"Okay," she reluctantly agreed. There was no point arguing a back-story with a writer. "But if anyone asks, there's going to be no hanky panky until at least our six month anniversary. Since our confession was so awkward—"  
"Since _your_ response was so awkward," Takeru corrected.  
"Since _my _response was so awkward, _you_ decided to wait until our _one year_ anniversary before we fool around because you wanted the evening we take things further to be picture-perfect movie-magical."

"Fair enough," Takeru smiled. "How about the first present I gave you as your boyfriend?"

Hikari blinked. "I get a present?"

Her "boyfriend" scratch his head, his cheeks faintly pink. "Well, I figured if I was dating a girl and she saw something she really liked in a shop window, I'd buy it for her. Hopefully she would treasure it forever."  
His "girlfriend" beamed. "You don't have to get me anything, 'Keru."

"Tell you what, we'll play it by ear," Takeru offered. "I won't go out of my way to buy anything, but if one day while we're out and you see something reasonable you like, I'll pick it up for you as a token from our 'first date', okay?"  
"Okay," the brunette grinned back. She couldn't help but feel lucky to be so close to someone like Takeru.

"In the meantime," she started again, "how about we meet a little more often at school so confessors won't approach us as often? I usually get stopped by admirers between classes and your fan club usually stalks you during the day and during basketball practice."  
"Yeah, your admirers can't really stay to watch you at dance practice without being deemed perverts for life," her best friend chuckled. Smiling, he added, "I'll stop by my locker more frequently then so I can be around you more often. And since dance practice gets out before basketball usually does, you can meet me up after and I'll walk you home each day."

Hikari stared at him.  
"But my apartment is almost on the other side of town."

"Hey, I'm a Takaishi," Takeru announced proudly. "If we commit ourselves to a task, we commit to it fully."  
With a giggle, Hikari teased, "So do you also have that 'Ishida Charm' Yamato is always bragging about?"

Takeru offered his arm to lead her back into the school.

"You tell me, 'sweetheart'."

* * *

"Was that really necessary, Taichi?"

Both Yagami siblings leaned on the balcony railing, watching as Takeru made a mad dash for the end of the block.

Taichi smiled.

When Daisuke revealed Hikari and Takeru's relationship to him during soccer practice, the entire team worried a human-warhead would detonate in the heart of Odaiba. On the contrary, when a boy leaps across multiple worlds and fights killer clowns and darkness itself to rescue your sister, you learn to entrust him with her life. He couldn't imagine anyone better to take care of his sister and keep her happy than Yamato's younger brother.

Still, that wasn't going to keep him from greeting them at the front door with a raving and beserk:  
"**IHOPEALLTHOSEBASKETBALLDRILLSCANOUTRUNFOURTEENYEARSOFSOCCERPRACTICE,TAKERU!**"

"I was just testing him, Hikari," her brother chuckled. "Plus, did you notice how his first instinct was to push you out of my warpath and into the apartment? Be sure to keep him around, okay, little sister?"


	3. Chapter 03: Walk, Don't Run

**Chapter 03: Walk, Don't Run  
**"OHMYGODTHAT'SSOCUTE!WHYDIDN'TANYBODYTELLMEBEFORE?"

No matter how much Koushiro warned them, nothing could prepare the Chosen for the permanent return of Mimi Tachikawa.

"We only just found out ourselves on Monday, Mimi," Sora answered with a soft giggle.  
"Well there's always time to fill good ol' Mimi on the latest gossip," Mimi beamed eagerly. "So Takeru, have you and Hikari gotten to first base yet?"  
"Hey, her older brother is in the room," Taichi reminded her from across the room. Mimi's booming inquiries were quickly turning his victories over Yamato at _Tekken Tag_ into his demise.  
"Oh hush, Taichi, it's not like you didn't fool around with girls in high school," Mimi jokingly reprimanded.  
"'A gentlemen doesn't kiss and tell.'" Even if Taichi was getting schooled on the Playstation, at least he learned something intelligent from English class.  
"Hey, babe, what did they say in that foreign film we just saw?" Yamato called over his shoulder. "'Hair's so big because it's full of secrets'?"  
"Did you memorize a quote from 'Mean Girls'?" Takeru snickered.  
"Did you _recognize_ a quote from 'Mean Girls'?" Yamato shot back with a smirk.  
"The family resemblance is uncanny," Sora teased over the room full of snickering.

"Oh God, does that mean dating Hikari is like dating Taichi?" Mimi gasped in horror.  
At least three humans and two Digimon spat out their sodas. Koushiro pressed his finger against his Digimon partner's face trying to determine where the fluid was being stored and ejected from.

"No, it's wonderful ("Thanks, Takeru," Taichi deadpanned). I mean, she's my best friend," Takeru scratched his head bashfully. "I can't imagine a more perfect scenario."  
"Then does that mean Taichi should marry—" Gabumon pondered.  
"Yamato?" Agumon finished.  
"That's what I've been saying this whole time," Sora giggled.  
A soft CRACK! suggested both gamers had gripped their controllers a little too hard.

"I don't know. Everything just feels a little weird though, you know?" Takeru sighed. "Like we have no idea what we're doing yet it all seems natural to us."

"You don't have to be your brother, Takeru."

Eleven pairs of eyes fell onto Koushiro, who was now looking over the damaged game pads.  
"Not everyone knows exactly what to do when they fall in love like Yamato and Sora," he explained. The computer whiz only faced his audience when he was sure no loose wires were going to jolt his friends.  
"Mimi had to move halfway across the world before I took any initiative and neither of us knew what would happen when I asked her to move back. If it feels natural to both of you, then a leap of faith every now and then couldn't hurt."

With a very un-Koushiro-like mischievous grin, he concluded, "Sometimes it's best not to think about things, right, Taichi?"  
Returning the grin, the First Generation leader replied, "Right. I especially agree with the 'Don't be Yamato' part."  
"Just go at your own pace, Takeru," Mimi chimed in. "Remember, sometimes players walk to first base instead of run."  
"Still here, Mi—"  
"Yeah, maybe it's best you don't follow my footsteps," Yamato interjected. "I'd hate to hunt my best friend to avenge my little brother."  
"Could a man truly find peace by killing his soul mate?" Gabumon questioned Agumon.  
"Hey, stop tha—"  
"Besides, you two are best friends," Sora encouraged, her voice booming so it could be heard over Yamato and Taichi roughhousing with their Digimon. "Even if things don't go the way you planned, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."

"Thanks, guys," Takeru beamed with a superficial smile. Internally, he was grateful for the abundance of support, but if they ever found out the truth. . . .

"I'M HOME!"

Hikari bounced into the room, immediately spotting her "boyfriend's" brother holding Gabumon by the scruff of his fur coat and Agumon pinning her own brother to the ground with his arms behind his back.  
"Not even going to ask," she shook her head with a chuckle.  
"Actually, I was going to ask how Agumon was holding Taichi's arms without any thumbs?" Mimi wondered aloud.

"Hey, 'sweetie'!" Hikari cooed as she wrapped her arms over Takeru's shoulders. "Sorry that tutoring Iori took so long. Ready for ice cream?"  
Takeru threw a quick sideways glance at her brother. "S-s-sure?"  
"Pick up some new controllers on the way home and her curfew is extended 'til 9," Taichi offered with a slick smile.

Takeru felt a small hand slip into his before tugging gently, drawing him off the sofa and out the door. As his "girlfriend" guided him to the elevator, he caught a whiff of her perfume.  
He always liked strawberries.  
The wind whipped lightly at her hair.  
He'd never noticed how beautiful his best friend was.

"Everything okay, 'Keru?"

Hikari was staring at him.  
Was his face getting hot?

_"Even if things don't go the way you planned, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."_

Takeru flashed a sincere smile.  
_Maybe this "relationship" wasn't such a bad idea._


	4. Chapter 04: Corsets and Confessions

**Chapter 04: Corsets and Confessions  
**"Takeru, I'm honestly surprised you're so at ease here."

"Eh. If you ever helped clean up the stage after a 'Teenage Wolves' concert, you'd be pretty desensitized too," Takeru chuckled as his "girlfriend" towed him through the lingerie shop. The store was basically selling ammunition for groupies to fling at his brother.  
"I'm hurt! My 'boyfriend' collecting other girls' panties?" Hikari pouted with a feigned yet playful indignation.  
"Hey, gotta do something until our One Year," Takeru teased, earning him a less feigned but equally playful soft smack in the back of the head.

"Hikari? Takeru? What are you doing here?"

The young "couple" spun around to find Miyako sauntering over from the entrance, a flyer tucked beneath her arm. A discounted sweater had been encircled numerous times by thick black lines on the handout. As she reached them, the lavender-haired girl quickly noticed that her friends were standing dead center in the intimate portion of the shop rather than the daywear. With a wicked smile, she slyly asked "Hikari, are you planning something special for Takeru?"

Within seconds, Miyako wished she had brought a camera to capture their reaction to show the other Chosen. Takeru had unconsciously snorted into his own hands and was now checking his palms for nose blood as his face brightened to a brilliant shade of red. The color of Hikari's cheeks changed to a red that would put Garudamon to shame and her eyes bulged out wide enough to impersonate Tentomon.  
As the blonde boy hastily wiped his nose on his sleeve to confirm a lack of hemorrhaging, the mortified brunette grabbed her friend's wrist and led her to the dressing rooms on the other side of the store with a rushed, "HEY,MIYAKO,CANYOUHELPMEDECIDEONAFEWITEMS?"

Behind the "security" of the closed curtain, Miyako awkwardly asked, "So did you want me to wait outside as you changed or do you want me to stay in the room or—"

"TAKERUANDIAREN'TREALLYDATING;WE'REJUSTPRETENDINGTOBEACOUPLESOPEOPLEWOULDSTOPASKINGUSOUT," her friend blurted out in one long breath. While revealing the ruse was embarrassing for Hikari, part of her hoped an informed Miyako might able to help cover for them and keep the other Chosen from making similar scandalous remarks.

"Really?" Miyako blinked. "I'm surprised Takeru would come up with that instead of asking you to be his actual girlfriend."  
"Actually, it was my idea," Hikari admitted, bashfully pushing her two index fingers together and looking nowhere in particular.  
"That's . . . somehow weirder," Miyako mused, finger on her chin. "I mean most girls confess to Takeru and fail, but you kinda half-ass it and hit it out of the park."  
"It wasn't a confession, Miyako!" Hikari shook her head.  
"Oh?" her companion pestered. "But don't you like Takeru?"

Hikari opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it. Nowadays, she wasn't sure there was a completely honest response to that inquiry anymore.  
After several silent minutes, Miyako signed. Her options were to either drop the question or outright slap Hikari out of her own anxious thoughts. She opted for the less violent solution.

Stepping out from behind the curtain, Hikari and Miyako returned to the underwear section to find Takeru staring up at a lacy corset while a cute salesgirl and classmate, Noriko, explained to him how the article operated.

"So once it's on, the strings in the back are pulled taut until the girl compresses her figure to a satisfactory level."  
"But wouldn't that make it really hard to breath?" Takeru pondered, scratching his chin. Hikari giggled at the thought of her friend overthinking women's undergarments.  
"Well, actually," a blushing Noriko began, "if a girl put this _particular_ one on, she's probably not planning to stay in it too long."

Hearing Takeru's light laughter invigorated her enough to lean in towards his ear and add, "If you'd like, I can give you a live demonstration when I get off work?"

Hikari's previous cheeriness rapidly dissipated to be replaced by sincere indignation.  
_Who does this girl think she is?_

With a huff, Hikari tromped up to the pair. Her stomping softened, however, when she overheard Takeru politely reply:  
"Sorry, but I'm really happy with Hikari and I don't want anything to ruin that."  
Almost on cue, Hikari latched onto his arm and nuzzled her face into her "boyfriend's" shoulder. Taken aback by the sudden appearance of Takeru's "girlfriend" and caught somewhere between embarrassment and frustration, Noriko could only mumble, "I see."

As Hikari led Takeru to the other side of the store, she looked over her shoulder long enough to quickly stick her tongue out at their fuming classmate.

"Well, that was awkward," Hikari sighed on their way back to Miyako, who was scouring the shelves for the same pink sweater indicated on her flyer.  
"Now you know how I feel when Daisuke tries too hard," Takeru teased.  
"Why were you staring at that corset anyways?" his companion questioned with an amused smirk.  
Takeru's face quickly turned a bright shade of crimson. As he absentmindedly scratched his cheek, he admitted, "Well I was trying to figure out how to put one on and take one off."  
Hikari giggled. "Takeru, you naughty boy, are you planning something dirty?"  
"Nonono," Takeru shook his head, the red in his cheeks bright enough to pierce a Christmas fog. "We found one onstage after Yamato's last concert and I was racking my brains trying to figure out how some girl managed that."  
After some thought, he added, "Or at least Yamato hoped it was a girl."  
Hikari snickered from his shoulder.

After finally catching up to Miyako, Hikari cheerfully asked, "Found what you were looking for?"  
Miyako, sweater clutched in her folded arms, took note of Hikari's arms wrapped around a prize of her own.  
"Did you?" she asked mischievously.

* * *

As they waited in the check-out line, Miyako noted an irate Noriko whizzing by, grumbling as she assisted another happy couple from school. Turning to Takeru, the lavender-haired girl noted, "Wow, Takeru. If she's that irritated, you must've given up a sure thing."

"Eh. I've got a sure thing waiting for me in forty-nine weeks," Takeru declared rather proudly.  
His soft laughter was cut short by a petite brunette's elbow playfully poking between his ribs.

* * *

Later that evening, Hikari lay in bed with Gatomon purring contentedly on her stomach. As she stroked the fluffy Digimon's fur, she found herself immersed in what her friend had remarked earlier:

_"Most girls confess to Takeru and fail. . . ."_

True, Takeru had rapidly developed a sizable fanclub shortly after starting senior high school. Whether it was based on a physical attraction, his gentle nature, or simply because it would be the closest the upperclassmen would get to dating "their Ishida-sempai", girls were regularly flagging down her best friend to confess to him. But for whatever reason, Takeru would always politely turn them down.  
Maybe he already had someone else in mind or wasn't ready to enter a relationship (or, as a classmate suggested, Takeru was playing for another team altogether), but Hikari never saw Takeru as any sort of romantic, that is, until recently.

The dynamic of the "couple" hadn't changed in the last few weeks. They were still watching movies together after school, going on mall trips like today, rehashing and developing new inside jokes.  
But Hikari began to notice Takeru gradually adding small flourishes to his normal behavior.  
Takeru draped his arm over her shoulders as they watched cheesy movies at his house. Before meandering through the school halls or the mall, he would offer his hand, which she gladly accepted. His jokes with her were now followed immediately by an infectious smile that other girls irritably grumbled "was solely reserved for Hikari Yagami".

_". . .but you kinda half-ass it and hit it out of the park."_

Earlier this week, when she buried her face in his chest, exasperated by a truly awful math test, he wrapped his arms around her waist to draw her closer before resting his head atop hers and whispering sweet comforts.  
The warm embrace had engulfed her.  
Her breathing slowed to synchronize with his, but her heartbeat went into overdrive until they eventually parted.

Hikari felt her face get hot.  
Her hand strayed from the kitty on her stomach to hold her cheek.  
Somehow tactilely feeling her blush made these new emotions all the more real.

_Maybe this "relationship" wasn't such a bad idea._


	5. Chapter 05: An Egg-cellent Analysis

**A/N: **Daisuke-bashing.

**Chapter 05: An Egg-cellent Analysis  
**"I still can't believe Hikari picked Takeru over me!"

"I'm not that surprised," Sora replied. When she caught the brokenhearted teen's glare, she quickly added with a frantic wave of the hands, "I mean because they're so close!"

Yamato chuckled with his arm around her. The Chosen Children were spending their lazy Saturday afternoon at the Ishidas', all except Hikari and Takeru who diverged from the group earlier in the afternoon to watch a movie downtown. While most of the Chosen were keen to join them, Miyako had convinced Hikari to "spend some time alone with her man, play it by ear, and be a real couple for once."

"But I've been asking Hikari out for five years!" Daisuke pleaded.  
"And Takeru's been her best friend for eight," Yamato countered perhaps a bit too eagerly. Sora playfully poked him in the cheek. Yamato only played the protective older brother nowadays whenever Takeru wasn't available to witness it.

"Yeah," muttered the goggle-headed teen with a shake of the head, "but I still wish they just stayed friends."

"Daisuke," Iori interjected, finally turning his head away from hustling the Digimon at a game of poker, "with your Digi-egg of Friendship, did you ever consider that maybe _you _ were the one who was supposed to be just friends with Hikari?"  
Miyako snickered.  
Daisuke, caught somewhere between surprise and indignation, retorted, "And what made you think of that genius idea, Iori?"  
"Digi-egg of Knowledge" replied the youngest Chosen. Koushiro's hand appeared beside him and Iori gave it a light high-five.

"Oh yeah? Then what does that make Miyako? Hikari's true love?" blurted Daisuke.  
"You two-timing minx," teased Ken as he kissed his girlfriend on the top of her head.  
"No, but like Sora, Miyako is well in-tuned with Hikari's love life," Iori pointed out. From the couch opposite him, Sora beamed. "And like Mimi, she's very vocally supportive of her dating Takeru."  
From the kitchen, Mimi quickly stuck her tongue out at her befuddled friend before resuming her baking.

"So not one of you thinks I'm better for Hikari than Takeru?" Davis slowly asked, praying for at least one ally. Around him, Sora looked bashfully at the ground while Yamato shook his head with a sympathetic smile; Koushiro had yet to pry his eyes off his laptop; Iori appeared overly interested in shuffling the deck for a new game; and Mimi stuck her tongue out at Daisuke once more as she sauntered over to Koushiro, her brownies baking in the oven now.

"Ken?" Daisuke looked at his closest ally with puppy dog eyes.  
Like Sora, Ken had found Yamato and Sora's living room rug extremely interesting.  
"Um. . . I'm not sure if there's a kind way to put this, Daisuke. . . ." he bumbled, moreso to the ground than his fellow Chosen.

"Jou?"  
_He's the oldest, probably the wisest!  
_Jou looked up from his anatomy book and stated rather matter-of-factly, "Actually, I thought Hikari was going to ask him out shortly after Yamato told us Takeru and his mom were returning to Odaiba."  
_"Good ol' reliable Jou" my foot._

"Koushiro?" Daisuke was grasping at straws now.  
The computer whiz finally pried his eyes off from the glowing monitor, not to face Daisuke, but to kiss Mimi's cheek as she draped her arms around his shoulders. As she giggled, he spoke aloud, "Daisuke, we've already had two omnipotent beings from the Digital World relay two separate but equally accurate prophecies that outright state Hope and Light are intertwined. If Fanglongmon himself descended from the Digi-Heavens and told us Hikari and Takeru performing a ballet could cure all disease among Digimon, I would believe it in a heartbeat."

"I hope he doesn't because then I'd be out of a job," Jou chuckled.  
Sensing a rebuttal from Daisuke, Koushiro quickly offered, "Crest of Knowledge". A small hand popped up beside his laptop screen and the tech-savvy Chosen high-fived it.

"W-w-well, I have the Digi-egg of Miracles!" stammered Daisuke.  
"Sweetie, if you need a miracle for a girl to return your feelings, I don't think it's meant to be," Sora gently suggested. Beside her, Yamato snorted so loud that she flicked him in the ear.

"Hey now, don't be so hard on Daisuke."  
The assembled group turned their confused gazes to the doorway, where Taichi was setting down armfuls of carryout next to the unlocked front door so he could remove his coat and shoes. Having heard Sora's last comment, he immediately deduced the topic at hand. The nine pairs of eyes trained on him blinked absentmindedly. Despite his overprotective nature, Taichi was warmly receptive of his little sister's relationship and his friends were caught off guard to hear him defending another suitor.

"It really takes courage to ask a girl out after the millionth rejection," Taichi finally snickered as he carried the abundance of food into the living room.  
Yamato couldn't hold it in any longer. Between guffaws, he managed out, "Yeah, Daisuke. Maybe Takeru could lend you his Digi-egg of Hope!"  
A sharp pinch on their earlobes forced both boys to abruptly stop teasing their embarrassed disciple. Silently, Sora contemplated how both her fiancée and best friend could still act so childishly.

As the food was distributed, topics shifted and Daisuke was relieved to no longer be subjected to the scrutiny he had accidentally cast upon himself.  
The night winded down and Jou was the first to exit, hoping for an early start the next day to continue his preparations for his anatomy exam. Subsequently, Koushiro and Mimi departed to "enjoy more desserts at their apartment". Taichi and Yamato snickered, whispering hints that Koushiro should have asked Jou to leave an anatomy book for him to review. This time, Mimi stuck out her tongue at two of her oldest friends before guiding her blushing boyfriend out of the apartment. The room fell into a comfortable silence as the Chosen oversaw a roshambo tournament amongst the Digimon, which climaxed in a victory for Veemon, as Agumon could choose nothing but paper.

By midnight, Daisuke was exchanging farewells and heading for the door when his departure was interrupted by a squealed "Takeru!"  
Sora leapt from the couch to embrace her future brother-in-law in a tight hug. Following her warm welcome, Sora stepped aside for Yamato to noogie his sibling as an affectionate "Hello" before Takeru greeted the remaining Chosen enthusiastically, albeit slightly exhausted.

"What are you doing here?" Miyako inquired from Takeru as she slipped out of their side-hug.  
"Oh, I crash here whenever our mom is away on a business trip," Takeru replied. "Plus I hurried back 'cause I figured a few of you would still be around."  
"I think she meant 'Where is Hikari?'" Ken elaborated with a gently smile.  
Daisuke's head perked up. "Did something happen between you two?" he asked with a little more gusto than he intended to reveal.  
"W-what? No!" Takeru bumbled, slightly taken aback. "It's just that it'd gotten pretty late and Hikari already fell asleep halfway through the movie, so I walked her home and carried her to her room after she dozed off in the elevator."

"And you just let her climb into bed _by herself_?" Miyako pressed with a unsubtle eyebrow waggle.  
"W-well no. . . " Takeru started, but when he saw Taichi and Daisuke quickly turning crimson, he explained, "I mean I left Gatomon and Patamon to cuddle up with her and watch over her."

Taichi's flush subsided almost as hastily as it appeared. Daisuke, however, remained livid. Without much forethought, he blurted out, "You can't watch over your own girlfriend yourself?"

"Well yeah, I could but I don't think Taichi would like it if I was alone with his sister in her room at night," Takeru admitted sheepishly.  
"Thanks, Takeru," Taichi beamed, appreciative of his consideration.  
"You the man, little bro'," Yamato chimed in.

"Yeah, well if I was dating Hikari, I wouldn't be ditching her to hang out with my friends after the fun part was over," Daisuke spat back. Honestly, he didn't think himself capable of such venomous words but a month of pent up frustrations and desperation were clawing to escape out by any means.

"That's it, Daisuke! It's time you headed home like you said you were," Miyako sighed with a faltering attempt to keep her cool as she hurried forward and bulldozed her friend towards the door.

"Well, maybe I'll stop by the Yagamis' to make sure Hikari is okay since Takeru obviously doesn't care!" Daisuke called over his shoulder.  
Almost immediately after the accusation tumbled out, the brunette was frozen by the shock of his own hubris.  
_Where were these words coming from?_

Daisuke could feel his own shame and embarrassment building as words spilled out without his permission. Taichi's anger had returned, but as he got up and motioned towards the younger Chosen, his best friend caught his shoulder. With a knowing nod, Yamato reassured Taichi that no one but the Digimon would be visiting his sister until the older leader returned home.

Unfortunately, no calm-minded friend was adjacent to Miyako to keep her rage in check. As she shoved the goggle-headed Chosen across the threshold, she screeched, "WOULD YOU KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY, DAISUKE! MAYBE IF YOU COULD GET IT THROUGH THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS, HIKARI WOULDN'T NEED TO FAKE A RELATIONSHIP TO KEEP YOU FROM HITTING ON HER!"

Unlike before, a haunting silence consumed the apartment and likely the dwellings on either side of it. Takeru could feel several pairs of anxious eyes falling onto his mortified person, but his terrified eyes were fixated on Miyako, who quivered in place as she mentally choked on her own foot.

The only person to accept this revelation gleefully was Daisuke, who bore an ear-to-ear smile as the front door slammed shut in his face.

**A/N**: Sassy Mimi is best Mimi.

Also, I like Daisuke and tried my best to stay true to his character. He's a clown and a good friend, but if he's annoyed with something, he's also quick-tempered and blurts out things he doesn't intend to.  
I hope that's how he came off (and will come off in subsequent chapters), because even if he's being teased in this chapter, the overall story doesn't hold him as an antagonist (I mean, part of the rationale behind the premise revolves trying to let him down easy _because_ he's a good guy).


	6. Chapter 06: Lucky, Lil' Mini-Gato

**Chapter 06: Lucky, Lil' ****Mini-Gato  
**"HIKARI, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

Abruptly dredged forth from her tranquil dreams, the youngest Yagami clambered out of bed as Gatomon stirred groggily and irritably beside her. Patamon, bundled in his own ears, merely rolled over as the bed shifted beneath him. As Hikari departed for the dining room, Agumon shuffled into her bedroom, depositing a small bag of catnip in Gatomon's paws before snuggling into the vacated spot of Hikari's warm bed. The Digimon, now comfy and cozy (and in Gatomon's case, pacified), lightly snoozed as their human partners squabbled over whatever outlandish idea was running through Taichi's head now.

Hikari bounded into the chair opposite her elder brother at the dining table. The radiant euphoria following her date with her "boyfriend" shifted into an uncomfortable anxiety as Taichi's burning stare threatened her with combustion.

"Is Takeru taking advantage of you?" he finally demanded sternly.

"What? No!" his sister responded, waving her hands frantically in dismal. "We haven't even kissed or anyth—"

"I mean," Taichi started over, the edge in his voice still blatant, "is he using you, specifically, as an excuse to get out of trouble with your classmates?"

Hikari blinked. "Where did you hear that from?"

Normally when her brother erupted into a rant about anything (usually Hikari's wellbeing or the pigheaded stubbornness of a teammate that could rival his own), the average person would be unable to catch more than a few choice words among the cacophony that was Yagami Taichi's sincerity.  
Like Sora, however, Hikari had grown up alongside her brother's ravings.  
To her, "awuoehgiuuvlblfetrMIYAKOfjbelwaifblTAKERUeawrlgblbrLITTLEJERKWADfhewuilgluigr" was perfectly articulate.

From what the female Yagami could derive from such madness was that Miyako, in a fit of frustration, had let slip to all the Chosen that Hikari's relationship with Takeru was a charade. After Daisuke had been booted unceremoniously from the Ishida household, their brothers had rounded on poor Takeru for the truth. And while he did confess that they weren't actually dating, the young Takaishi made one small adjustment to his explanation.

"He said that he asked you to pretend to be his girlfriend so that other girls would leave him alone, hinting that it might get Daisuke off your back if you played along, the little snot-nosed punk—"

"Taichi, it was my idea."

Hikari had a unique touch in shutting down her brother's ramblings. If she could teach it, she would have made millions off Yamato and Sora alone.

"What do you mean 'it was your idea?'" Taichi inquired, not bothering to hide his shock. He had always known his sister to be a bit of a goof and a trickster, but never as deceptive.

"I was the one who asked Takeru to pretend to be my boyfriend to stop Daisuke and other guys from harassing me with confessions," Hikari admitted to the table as she twiddled her fingers, "I told him it might help keep his fangirls at bay too."

"Then why did Takeru say it was his idea?" her brother pressed.

"He was protecting me, like he always does," she informed the table, although Taichi noticed the corners of mouth curling slightly. "He knows that part of the reason I made up this relationship was to turn Daisuke down as gently as possible. I don't like Daisuke the way he likes me, but I didn't want to hurt him because he's a good friend. If I had a boyfriend already though, I couldn't help it if I didn't reciprocate his feelings and there was no one other than Takeru that I would trust enough to be my boyfriend."

"MY _PRETEND_ BOYFRIEND," she quickly clarified, her face flushing instantly when she heard Taichi snicker from across the table.

When both her blush and her brother's laughter subsided, she continued, "If Daisuke heard that I created an elaborate lie simply to avoid him, he'd be crushed. It'd ruin our friendship and possibly the dynamic of our generation of Chosen as a result. But if the whole thing was Takeru's idea. . . ."

"Daisuke couldn't be mad at you," Taichi finished slowly. He was impressed with both how quickly Takeru jumped to protect his sister as well as Yamato's skills in teaching his brother to fib so fluently.

"And Daisuke's relationship with Takeru wouldn't change much beyond a little more jealousy," Hikari tacked on, the soft smile never leaving her lips. She finally ventured to face her brother, who had long since simmered down and now only smiled back at her for her honesty. "Please don't be mad."

"I'm not. Actually, I'm a little worried that the two of you learned something from your older brothers," Taichi chuckled. "But," he began and his expression resumed its previous seriousness, "is this really fair to Daisuke and Takeru?"

"I-I know I'm being selfish," Hikari reluctantly admitted, this time with enough courage to tell her brother rather than the dining room furniture, "but things have just been so wonderful this last month that I keep forgetting the original intentions . . . weren't so pure. . . ."

And until her brother confronted her, tonight had been a perfect example of that. While she initially resisted when her lavender-haired friend suggested Hikari "spend some time alone with her man" tonight, an internal voice pushed her to accept.

And what a whirlwind of bliss it was!

Takeru, deciding that she deserved a legitimate date for once, ran through the streets of Odaiba with his hand interlocked with hers, pulling her into a sushi shop where they laughed and he tried feeding her a salmon roll from the end of this chopsticks. From there they sprinted into a small trinket shop a few blocks away they had always passed but never ventured into, where Hikari became enamored with a small lucky cat cellphone charm that resembled her Digimon companion. Takeru bought the fortune booster for his crimson-faced date before guiding her to the one true First Date Classic: the movie theatre. With Lady Luck on her side thanks to "Mini-Gato", Hikari steeled herself to endure the latest horror film, one that Takeru had been encouraged by classmates to see and would allow her to bury her face in his chest if she felt inclined to "because she was scared."

A day of adventuring and running across the city had left her drained, however, and somewhere around the time the vengeful toilet spirit was stalking up to the unsuspecting shrine maiden, Hikari fell over sideways, her head landing gently onto Takeru's shoulder as she dozed off. She could feel his shoulder rising and receding subtly from beneath her cheek but did not catch the nervous gulp of her date when he registered her proximity.

After the film concluded (apparently exorcism talismans can be scribed onto toilet paper for maximum effect), the smiling Takaishi scooped up the snoring Yagami into his arms and carried her from the theatre to the subway station at the end of the street. With a soft knock on the door to the Yagami residence, the young "couple" was let in by Takeru's Digimon companion, who was on his own playdate with Hikari's partner. After tucking the brunette into bed, Takeru left Hikari in the charge of Gatomon and Patamon, although the former was not pleased with the "uncanny resemblance" of the cellphone charm.

While Takeru had tried his best not to disturb her slumber, the young brunette stirred slightly when she felt something soft brush her forehead.  
She could have sworn her face had heated up following that quick contact.

Mulling over the moment, Hikari wondered if her "boyfriend" had kissed her forehead goodnight and she had yet to ask Gatomon or Patamon. Though she would never admit it aloud, that same internal voice from earlier was pleading with God that Takeru's lips had touched down just below her bangs.  
Something was developing between her and Takeru over the last few weeks, and more than anything she wanted to see if it would bloom or wither away.

Taichi looked his sister over curiously. He saw a bit of Sora in her, back when she was clutching a box of Christmas cookies in the light snowfall several years ago. Thinking back to just earlier that evening, he wondered if Takeru resembled his brother Yamato now more than ever.

"Do you want to just be Takeru's _pretend_ girlfriend?"

Taichi asked the question aloud without realizing it, but it derailed both Yagamis' trains of thought; the entire thought train station had burst into flames.

"W-w-wha. . .? W-here did that. . . " Hikari fumbled for words.

"After Takeru explained the situation to us, Ken asked him if he was happy enough just pretending to be your boyfriend," Taichi revealed.

"What did he say?" Hikari couldn't stop her eyes from widening or the blush creeping through her face, but she was going to control her embarrassed stammering, damn it!

With a yawn and a smile, Taichi got up from his seat and headed towards his room.

"That's something you'll have to ask Takeru."


	7. Chapter 07: Just For A Minute

**Chapter 07: Just For A Minute**

Takeru sprinted down the hallway, weaving between students and hurdling over bookbags scattered across the ground.  
There was no way he would let Daisuke beat him to Hikari.

The day after the party at Yamato's, Daisuke appeared on the Yagamis' doorstep, his head bowed as he hastily expelled a sincere apology for his behavior the previous night. With a sigh of relief, Taichi let him off the hook and, with some hesitation, explained "Takeru's" rationalization for the fictional romance.  
The Chosen were collectively shocked when the younger goggle-head not only accepted this explanation calmly, but called his blonde teammate immediately after departing from the Yagamis' apartment.

"Hey, I get it; I can sympathize with the great lengths a fellow ladies' man will go for some peace and quiet," Daisuke encouraged a dumbfounded Takeru. "I'll even help you out! Whenever Hikari's with you in public, I'll play along that you two are dating."

"But when you're not with Hikari, Takeru," the second generation's leader warned, "I'm taking every chance I get to win her over."

Now Takeru was shooting apologies over his shoulder as he sped past his schoolmates, narrowly avoiding trampling an underclassman. Following his conversation with Daisuke, the young Takaishi phoned his "girlfriend" to update her, but her only response was a cheerful "Well I guess we'll just have to meet up after class as soon as possible!"

_Why does she have to have class across campus on Thursdays?_

Takeru rounded a corner, his heart racing alongside his feet. His heartbeat accelerated as he rounded the final corner and heard, "So can I take you to Ryu's party, Hikari?"

The basketball star stumbled into the hallway, landing onto some lockers that he used to prop himself up as he caught his breath. From the opposite wall, a relieved Hikari exclaimed gleefully, "Takeru!" before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards Miyako, Ken, and Hikari's suitor.  
To his surprise, however, Daisuke wasn't the one asking Hikari, but rather his teammate Lee.

"Hey, Takeru," Lee said with a friendly smile. After acknowledging his captain, the teenager's attention returned to Hikari for an answer, "So will you go with me, Hikari?"  
"Sorry, but if I end up going, it'll be with my 'boyfriend'," the brunette girl beamed.  
"Hikari, you don't have to do Takeru any favors," Lee reassured her. "In fact, pretending to be his girlfriend isn't really fair to the nice guys who actually want to date you."

Both Hikari and Takeru stared back at Lee bewildered. As far as either of them knew, no one outside the Chosen was aware of the true nature of their "relationship".  
Anxiously, Takeru fumbled out a "W-where did you hear tha—"

"TAKERU, YOU JERK!"

The entire hallway swiveled its collective head towards a storming Noriko. Before Takeru could register her call for him, the hallway echoed with the ghost of a slap.

"If you don't want girls hitting on you, you don't have to lie to the whole school to turn them all down at the same time!" Noriko barked, holding back tears filled with rage.

"Where is everyone hearing that Hikari and Takeru aren't a real couple?" Miyako asked incredulously, although her disbelief was more-so because it wasn't herself who accidentally informed the school of the pair's deception.  
Beside her, Ken shifted uncomfortably.  
He knew.

When soccer practice ended Tuesday afternoon, the team dogged Daisuke for chasing Hikari whenever Takeru wasn't around, feeling that the Chosen was disrespecting his friends by ignoring their "relationship". As tensions mounted and verbal harassment threatened to turn physical, Ken blurted, "They're just faking their relationship so girls will leave Takeru alone!"

_Sorry, Takeru, Hikari, but I couldn't let Daisuke get hurt for your decisions. . . ._

To Daisuke's relief, the explanation saved his hide but not without regrets. Word had spread around school within the last forty-eight hours and now neither Takeru nor Hikari was safe from being hit on, both figuratively and now literally.

"Does it matter?" Noriko spat back. "At least someone had the guts to call this creep out!"  
"Hey, don't say things like that about Takeru!" Hikaru shouted. It was such a rarity to see the youngest Yagami so confrontational that most people would have been cowed into an awed silence.  
Noriko, however, demanded, "Why are you defending him? You're not even his girlfriend!"

"Don't yell at Hikari," Takeru sternly reprimanded. His left cheek was still glowing from the impact of their accuser's palm. "Maybe someone misspoke. Maybe someone created a rumor to try to break us up. But don't start screaming at an innocent girl for something you randomly heard."

"Then kiss her, Takeru," a kind voice suggested from behind them.

Ken stepped forward with a gentle smile.  
_This is my fault; hopefully I can fix this up. Maybe I can fix _them_ up._

His girlfriend was as caught just as off-guard as everyone else but she broke out in a Cheshire cat grin at the idea.

"Prove to them you really want to be together," Ken encouraged.

"K-kiss?" Hikari stammered, her cheeks matching the same shade of red as Takeru's albeit from embarrassment.  
_Ken, what are you doing?!_

Lee grinned. "I can accept that," he agreed. "If Hikari's really your girlfriend, I'll step aside with my deepest apologies."  
Beside them, Noriko fidgeted and bit her lip. With a nod, she confirmed a kiss would be sufficient.

Hikari felt her heartbeat threatening to shatter her sternum. In the five weeks they had been "dating", they had never attempted anything physical beyond hugs and holding hands, not even to maintain appearances.

_But he might've kissed me goodnight a few nights ago._

Unfortunately for the brunette, Gatomon had refused to confirm or deny whether such a tender moment occurred. It was Hikari's punishment for bringing "that thing" into their home. Wondering if his human partner had bought a "lucky pig" charm, Patamon was too caught up in his own musings to be of much help to Hikari.

_But even if he did, it doesn't necessarily mean Takeru likes me as more than a best friend, does it? It wouldn't be too weird if a best friend kissed his girl best friend on the cheek as a sign of affection, right?_

Hikari was beet red and losing nerve by the second when a hand gingerly rested on her cheek, slowly guiding her face to meet his gaze.

"Ta—"

Her words were cut short but the kiss spoke volumes.

Their lips only joined for a minute, but in those 60 seconds, Hikari felt every emotion tearing through her "boyfriend" over the last month and change.  
Euphoria. Hesitation. Frustration. Confusion. Yearning.

One she could not describe yet felt warmly familiar.

Their lips broke apart.  
Peace.

Silence consumed the hall.

Like Lee, Ken beamed despite Miyako fainting beside him. His goggle-headed teammate shook in place, a building internal fury restrained solely by the sheer force of willpower. Sorting through her emotions, Noriko simply stared blankly at the "couple" until she could find an appropriate response.

The remaining students stood vigilant, eager for further confirmation or a matching imprint on Takeru's other cheek.

And to everyone's surprise, including Hikari's, she kissed him back.


	8. Chapter 08: Team Takeru

**Chapter 08: Team Takeru Also Includes Ken and Koushiro  
**Miyako's eyes groggily fluttered up. Paper rustled beneath her as she sat up on a small cot. The school nurse's office gradually came into focus.

"Ugh. . . What happened?" she mumbled. The lavender-haired teen recalled two of her best friends sharing their first kiss before her memory blanked.

"There was some kind of commotion in the halls just as the lunch period started," the nurse replied."A boy named Lee carried you in without really explaining what happened to make you faint." Handing the teenager a bottle of water, she added with an encouraging smile, "Now drink up. You might be able to still catch lunch if you don't keel over first."

Miyako gulped the water down before planting her face in her palm. The world was lightly spinning but slowly stabilizing with each swig of glorious water. Her free hand reflexively squeezed closed, only to be met with empty air.

Miyako's eye shot open. The last time she wound up in the nurse's office, Ken had fallen asleep beside her, his hand locked in hers. And Lee of all people brought her in?

"Where are my friends?"

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL, TAKERU?!"

The blond grunted as his leader pinned him to the wall of a deserted corridor save for the quarreling boys plus Ken. Although in a piercing glare, Daisuke's eyes were trembling as much as his hands.  
At Yamato's his words were impulsive but today he felt justified.

"How could you just force yourself on Hikari like that?! What kind of friend are you suppo—"  
"Daisuke, stop it!"

Ken didn't like it, but he started to regret each time he tried to help his friends.  
"She kissed him back, Daisuke! Did you ever consider that maybe Hikari likes—"

"I KNOW!"

* * *

Taichi may have been a frequent visitor to Mr. Aoki's office but his sister was a fresh face.

The most romantic moment (to date) of Hikari Yagami's life was interrupted by a booming, "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Word had rippled through the corridor that a girl assaulted the captain of the basketball team and the crowd of onlookers parted as the School Disciplinarian march forward.  
Upon catching sight of Mr. Aoki, Daisuke grabbed Takeru's wrist and dragged him to the opposite side of the school with Ken in pursuit, leaving Noriko and Hikari left behind to be interrogated.

Just before Hikari entered the Disciplinarian's office, Noriko had quietly exited, her head hung low and her eye refusing to meet the young Yagami's.

Hikari shifted nervously in her chair. Mr. Aoki merely nodded towards her.

"Don't worry, Miss Yagami, Miss Uzumi already admitted to striking Mr. Takaishi," the official began, attempting a friendly smile that failed to break his stern demeanor. "I simply want to get another side of the story for confirmation."

"W-well, it's true that Noriko struck Takeru. . ." Hikari admitted anxiously. "But I can't say I blame her for being angry with us. . . ."

"'Us?'" the Disciplinarian repeated with a raised eyebrow.

The brunette girl's strength was faltering. Her eyes drifted south to the edge of the desk, to which she informed, "She was romantically interested in Takeru for almost a year now, but about a month ago I destroyed her chances at being with him." Recalling the incident at the lingerie shope, she shamefully confessed "I even gloated to her about it when she saw us together outside of school."

"And then a rumor emerged that Takeru and I were dating solely to reject and mock our classmates, and that's what pushed her to hit him."

She shook her head.

"Because we pushed her."

* * *

Even though Daisuke hid his face from his friends, Takeru watched a handful of tears patter onto the floor tiles. His gut twisted sharply. He was supposed to be helping Hikari protect their friend but he failed miserably.

"I-I know, Ken," the brunette repeated. "I've asked myself that dozens of times a day ever since this whole fake relationship-thing started. And if Hikari wants to date Takeru, then fine, I'll deal with it."

His face rose from the shadows to confront Takeru once more. The tears were still streaming but his features were contorted in rage.

"But if you don't reciprocate those feelings, stop leading her on, Takeru!" he demanded. "If you don't love her, then let her find someone who will!"

* * *

Miyako opened the doors to the lunchroom and was met with the uproarious chatter of high schoolers.

". . . And Noriko and Hikari were sent off to the Disciplinarian's office. . . "  
"Daisuke just dragged Takeru off, no idea where. We may have to track down the body later. . . ."  
"Whatever. She'll get what she deserves for hitting Takaishi-sempai."  
". . . but Ken's smart. He should be able to calm the soccer captain down before Takaishi winds up getting hit twice in one day."

_With the amount of gossip that surges through this school, Mimi could've been a queen here._

Miyako flipped opened her D-terminal and hastily typed out seven separate messenger addresses.

_Still, that doesn't mean she can't catch up on the latest news from Odaiba High._

* * *

Two days.

Two days suspension for being excessively honest about the stand-off between her and Takeru, and Noriko and Lee.  
Two days, Friday and Monday, for inadvertently instigating an act of violence and disrupting the academic environment with inappropriate public intimacy.  
Her sentence was lighter than any punishment reigned down upon her brother, but then again Hikari never accidentally pegged her homeroom teacher with a soccer ball.

_At least I get a long weekend. . . ._

"Yeah, but the school's super strict when it comes to fights on school grounds."  
"But two weeks? Uzumi-sempai's going to miss out on so much!"  
"Whatever. She'll get what she deserves for hitting Takaishi-sempai."

_Two weeks? Noriko's punishment is_ five times _as long as mine?_

A pang of guilt shot through Hikari. Her smile fell, her head drooped.

_Breaking so many people with selfish lies should be punished worse than a slap to the face. . . ._

* * *

"Daisuke. . ." Takeru could barely manage a whisper, not from the assault but the building guilt. "I'm sorry, but I didn't kiss Hikari to keep up appearances."

The young Takaishi felt the hands gripping his collar loosen and he quickly crumpled to the ground. A reluctant hand appeared before him. Although he still scowled, Daisuke helped Takeru back onto his feet.

* * *

_To: PrinchefMimi, pineappleal13n, SoarwithSora, BigBadYamato, taichimaster, kendokid, DigiDoc  
Subject: IT FINALLY FREAKING HAPPENED!_

_"Another Chosen World update courtesy of Miyako!_

_Takeru may be just as good at baseball as he is at basketball because he_ finally_ stepped up to the plate! The girls here say Takeru Takaishi is delicious but only one girl knows for sure! Even though Hikari missed lunch, I'm sure she'll be savoring the taste on her lips!  
__Embarassing older brothers, start your engines!  
_

_That's all for now!  
__The Wonderful Miss Miyako_

_P.S.: Seriously, Taichi and Yamato, literally start your cars and pick up your siblings. One is filling your seat in the school disciplinarian's office and the other may have been dragged off and murdered in the last hour."_

* * *

"Takeru, we need to know," Ken began slowly. "_Hikari_ needs to know."

Daisuke silently nodded before Ken continued.

"Do you still want to stop pretending?"

* * *

Yamato stood back smugly as his friend whipped out his wallet and started counting.  
From Taichi's stream of profanities, Yamato could barely pick up "damnit,Hikari", "Takeruhadtokissfirst", and "whyisn'tCourageafamilytrait".

"2000 yen," Taichi sighed as he handed a fistful of bills to the chuckling Ishida. "Better not let Sora know where you got that from."  
"Nah, she'll be thrilled," Yamato grinned. "I just made back double what she lost to Mimi."

"So one of them is going to have to confess soon, huh?" Taichi wondered aloud. He couldn't help but smile. His little sister was growing up.

"Think they'll chicken out?"

* * *

"Hikari, over here!" Miyako called over to her friend, hand waving frantically through the air.

"Soooo how's it feel to give your first kiss to such a cutie?" she beamed when Hikari took the seat across from her. In her enthusiasm, she failed to notice her friend's sullen disposition.

"It was nice," Hikari replieded half-heatedly. A smile begged to burst forth but the regret gnawing away at her psyche kept it at bay.

"Hikari, what's wrong?" Miyako pressed. This was not the zealous, cheery response she had expected from the brunette. "I thought you wanted this? Word is you kissed Takeru back after I blacked out."

"I did." Despite everything, a small smile managed to slip free. Had Miyako not been watching her friend intently, however, she would have missed it as it vanished within a flash. "But it was selfish of me, just like this whole 'relationship.' All I've done is hurt people like Daisuke and Noriko. Even Takeru was struck for helping me."  
With a sigh, she concluded, "Is my happiness really worth sacrificing the happiness of others?"

"Hikari. . . ." Miyako reached and grabbed both of the young Yagami's hands. She squeezed them gently for support.

"You don't regret 'dating' Takeru, do you, Hikari?"

* * *

"Yes."

**A/N:** That was not a universal response.


	9. Chapter 09: Soar With Sora

**Chapter 09: Soar With Sora**

Face planted firmly against the dining room table, Hikari groaned and not because her mother had made breakfast before work.

_"Miss Yagami, I want you to spend this suspension considering the ramifications of your actions."_

And Hikari knew she would, whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

"Hika, there's something I've been meaning to say for awhile."  
"I need to say something too, 'Keru."  
"I'm in lo—"  
"We can't keep doing this."  
"—ve with. . . ."

Takeru's voice sputtered out. His mouth had suddenly become very dry. Fortunately for his pride, his best friend seemed to have missed his confession, as her attention was instead devoted entirely to saying her piece.

"I-I've been really happy these last few weeks," she stammered, her cheeks flushing, "and I want more than anything for it continue. Our 'relationship'. Our k-kiss. They're things I'll treasure forever." With a shake of her head, she continued, "But things are getting out of hand, Takeru. I don't regret what we've done but I will if more and more people get hurt." She placed a hand to his cheek, gently stroking where Noriko had smacked him earlier. "If you kept getting hurt."

"We'll still be best friends, right?" she offered with a weak smile.

Takeru refused to meet her eyes, instead focusing his attention on his shoes. He simply nodded to confirm he understood.

"Hey, Takeru, what were you trying to say earlier?"

He smiled. A fake, strained smile Hikari had never seen before that cut her deeply.

"Nothing important."

* * *

"Sorry, guys, but I'm going to take a detour before heading back to Yamato's," Takeru announced over his shoulder before leaving his fellow Chosen on their way home from school.

"What, no goodbye kiss?" Miyako nudged Hikari, eyebrows waggling.  
"No. . ." the brunette muttered bashfully. "We actually 'broke up' between classes today."  
"WHAAAT?" her friend raged. "Damn it, Yagami Hikari! I told you to forget those losers who opposed your relationship!"  
"But what about people like Daisuke?" Hikari fretted. "He's our friend Miyako! I can't hurt my friends just to get what I want!"

"Daisuke was there when Takeru told us he planned to confess to you today," Ken rebuked. "He's been handling the news since the lunch period."  
Miyako and her best friend whirled on him. "WAIT. WHAT?"  
"T-Takeru did confess today right?" Ken knew he could be terrified of his girlfriend, but of Hikari?

"THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO TELL ME EARLIER?" Hikari blurted, her internal screaming somehow progressing to vocal.  
"YOU DIDN'T LET TAKERU CONFESS TO YOU?" Miyako screeched. "AFTER YOU TWO KISSED TODAY?"

* * *

_"It's ok, Hikari," Ken reassured her. "Takeru might be taking it hard now but I'm sure he'll still be eager and waiting if you ever change your mind."_

Hikari banged her head against the table, her brother spitting up green eggs from being startled.  
She may have just saved his life.

"Hey, are you ok?" Taichi implored when he finally stopped coughing up disaster.

"I'm perfect," was the response, although with his sister's lips against the cherrywood table, all Taichi heard was a garbled "Abrahblah."

"O. . . kaaay. . . ." he drawled.

"Sorry, jailbird, but I have to get going," Taichi declared as he rose from the table. "My soccer squad won't survive without me. Also, Yamato asked me to join him for some lunch-meeting-thing afterwards so I'll be home late. Try to prepare something for yourself so Mom's cooking doesn't do another whammy on your digestive track."

As he motioned for the door, however, the goggle-head heard some mild shifting behind him and felt a small tug on his windbreaker sleeve. He stared curiously at his little sister, who was now staring intently at her lap.

"Taichi, you confessed to Sora, right?"

Her brother flinched at the memory but quickly recomposed himself. "Yeah, but I may not be the best person to ask for tips since my record is 0-1."

"How did she know it wouldn't have work out between you two?"

Taichi Yagami did not like where this conversation was heading.  
Just a week ago, he could have sworn Hikari was head-over-heels for his best friend's brother after their first date. Hell, their first kiss was less than twenty-four hours ago! However, the afterglow seemed to be fading alarmingly fast.

The Child of Courage resumed sitting and lifted his sister's chin to look at him. Soccer drills could wait.  
"What's this about, Hika? I thought you were happy with Takeru?"

"I am, or. . . was. . ." Hikari admitted. Tears began to pool at the corners of her eyes and she sniffled before continuing, "But I'm worried what'll happen if we continue like this. Even if we became a real couple, how many people are we going to step on because we want something for ourselves?"

Taichi's heart was breaking as fast as his little sister's.  
Hikari Yagami, Child of Light.  
Always putting the needs of others before her own.

Wiping the tears away with her hands, Hikari blinked when she noticed her brother was actually beaming at her.  
"Remember how you said Daisuke reminded you a lot of me?"  
The youngest Yagami silently nodded her head.

"That's because he's basically me from five years ago," Taichi chuckled. "He's another arrogant soccer fanatic who confessed to his best friend, only to be turned down because she was already in love with a pretty-boy blonde although she could never admit it before."  
His little sister looked like he had just jammed a knife in her stomach.  
"And you know what? Being shot down like that hurt more than I could've ever imagined." Knife in the back.  
"And internally, I blamed them for being selfish and not considering the feelings of the people around them." Hikari was quickly devolving into a pincushion at this rate.

"_BUT_," Taichi finally interjected before Hikari keeled over, "I was wrong. I was the one being selfish."

Hikari stopped clutching her twisting gut and stared at him in wonder. "But your heart was broken. I remember you and Agumon silently coming home that night."

"Yeah, but I wasn't the one she was in love with, Hikari," he explained with a smirk. "And I realized how important being with Yamato was to her. So I pushed her to pursue it, literally. And you know what?"  
"What?" Hikari asked, stuck between hesitant and hopeful.

"I couldn't be happier with the outcome." Taichi sported a grin that could put Cheshire cats to shame. "They're getting married, Hikari, and I'm ecstatic! Yeah, it was awkward the first few weeks but I moved on. Daisuke, and anyone else at school hurt because you two chose love, will too."

"Be like Sora, Hika," Taichi encouraged as he stood up to leave once more. "Be 'selfish' because the people who truly care about you will come to support your decision if they don't already. You won't end the world by dating Takeru Takaishi."

As the door closed behind her brother, Hikari felt a smile spread across her lips.  
Maybe she could be selfish just this once.

* * *

Hikari awoke from her nap to the sound of her phone ringing. She had set her alarm for 3:00PM so that would have time to prepare before trying to meet Takeru after school. To her surprise, however, she realized the ringtone was actually an incoming call.

"Daisuke?" she inquired groggily.  
"Hey, Hikari," her leader confirmed.  
"Daisuke, I've been meaning to talk to y—"  
"It's ok, Hikari," he reassured her. "I saw it in Takeru's eyes too."  
"I'm sorry," she said meekly.  
"I saw that in Takeru's eyes too," he chuckled. His toned spontaneously became serious when he asked, "Speaking of, you haven't seen Takeru today have you?"  
"No, I was actually about to head out to see him after class," Hikari replied. "How come?"

"Takeru wasn't at school today."

**A/N: **Cliche cliffhanger is cliche.


	10. Chapter 10: Ichijoujis Party Hard

**Chapter 10: Ichijoujis Party Hard**

First Takeru and now Miyako and Ken. . . .

"Don't worry, Hikari, I'm sure Takeru will turn up a-ok!" was the last thing the lavender-haired girl declared before tromping off into the heart of Ryu's party with her boyfriend in tow in a lopsided mission to see what the "Great Ken Ichijouji" was like with a few drinks in him.  
After four hours of scouring Odaiba with no leads, the Second Generation Chosen opted to see if their friend would turn up at their classmate's shindig but the initial survey determined the festivities were completely void of blondes.

"Hey, Hikari, can I get you a drink?"  
The brunette graoned. To their peers, showing up without Takeru hanging off her arm apparently meant she was recently single and ready to mingle. Mind, it was half-true but the Chosen of Light couldn't help but feel it would be a little easier to be selfish if she was only given the chance again.

"No, thanks," she lazily replied. Before her suitor could persist, a joking voice behind them suggest, "Try some karaoke. She loves a good singer."  
Unfortunately for Hikari, the boy was so intoxicated that he nodded warily before integrating himself into the song queue.

"No sign of Takeru?" Daisuke inquired, stepping forth to join his friend in scanning the crowd surrounding the makeshift karaoke stage.  
Hikari shook her head. "I just want one more chance, Daisuke."  
The goggle-head smiled. "Well, it doesn't look like he's the party type of guy. You should be out there looking for him, Hikari."  
"Yeah but where do I even start? We searched everywhere!"

Whatever J-pop butchering that was occurring in the background abruptly halted as a song far too familiar to the brunette kicked on.

"_You got a boy, you got a girl  
Sittin' underneath a tree_"

Kari whipped her head to the melodious voice, which was far too feminine to be Yamato's.  
Atop the stage with a crowd of cheering teenagers surrounding the platform, the usually aggressive Miyako gently crooned:

"_They sit there every day_"

An idea sparked in the Child of Light. As if to counterbalance his girlfriend's unexpected serenade, a tomato-faced and half-shirtless Ken bellowed a tonedeaf:

"_AaaaNND EEEvon thoooough ya' MAY thunk  
Thesusadaway thEEngs should bae"_

Even if the vocals were off-key, Ken's drunken ramblings struck a chord with Hikari. She whipped around and began pushing through the assembly of schoolmates.

_"I'MAY NAH ALWAYS BAE THA' WAAAaaaAAAY!_"

"_You can't take nothin' for granted,_" Miyako intervened to the crowd's relief.

Hikari's face brightened before she bolted for the door.

"_You gotta live like todaaaay!"_

She knew where Takeru was.

* * *

It was a wonderful winter's night and Takeru gazed up into the canopy of their childhood tree, grinning madly at the memory of them climbing its branches like a pair of clothed monkeys.

"Found you."

The blonde sent his eyes earthbound, falling onto the beautiful albeit panting form of his best friend.  
Despite her radiant smile and relief, Hikari shivered. In her haste out the door, she had absentmindedly left her jacket with the rambunctious partygoers.  
Takeru grabbed her delicate hands and gently tugged so she knelt on the ground beside him. Without hesitation, he shed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. The brunette cooed as her body warmed up.

"Have you been here all day?" she asked when she felt properly shielded from the cold.  
Takeru shook his head, still grinning. "I went to Yamato and Sora's last night. Stayed up so late talking to them that I slept through the first half of the school day, so my brother suggested I play hooky and invited me out for lunch."  
Hikari facepalmed. "Was my brother there too?"  
"Yeah, how did you know?" Takeru blinked.

He sighed. "Actually, it was his idea to *ahem* 'give Hikari enough time and motivation to make the obvious choice.' Next thing I knew, I was being locked in one of Yamato's closets without my cellphone or D-terminal."  
"Why didn't they just let you stay in one of the guest rooms this whole time?" Hikari worriedly inquired.  
"'The adventure is less fulfilling if the damsel-in-distress is comfortable'," Takeru groaned, eliciting a giggle from his companion.

"Anyways, they let me out about an hour ago when Miyako texted them that you were ready to see me," the Takaishi son continued. "Been here ever since."

"So you weren't running away from me." Hikari sighed in relief, clutching her chest.  
"I'd jump through time and space just to _get back_ to you, Hika."  
_There's that infectious grin of his again._

"Takeru. . . About yesterday. . . ." Hikari began but halted when she felt a pair of hands cup around her face. Despite the chilliness of their touch from an hour in the frigid air, the swooning girl instinctively nuzzled herself further into the palms.

"We don't have to continue if you're uncomfortable with it, Hikari," he reassured her. "And no matter what our relationship is, isn't, or pretends to be, I won't be going anywhere because**—"  
**Takeru felt his mouth dry instantaneously once more. Peering into his best friend's eyes, however, he could sense her wordlessly imploring him to continue.  
He swallowed hard.

"Because I love you."

His thumb gently stroke her cheek. Tears of joy welled in Hikari's eyes, her heart ready to explode.  
"Because I don't think I could ever resist falling in love with someone as amazing as you, Hika."

"Takeru. . ." she whispered softly, "I'm not afraid anymore. I love**— **CHOO!"

Both teenagers stared as Takeru opened his hands for them to inspect the damage. Hikari heard a soft snort before her boyfriend erupted in laughter.

"One word about this to anyone and you'll be waiting _more _than a year," she scolded with a playful punch in his shoulder.  
"That's ok," he smirked.  
Leaning forward, he added, "I can live with this for now."

There was a fiery fervor in their third kiss that neither Takeru nor Hikari expected but reveled in nonetheless.  
On the other's lips, each Chosen could derive only a single emotion, a single joyous emotion they were elated to share together.

* * *

The boys around them were lamenting but Daisuke Motiomiya was grinning ear-to-ear. As soon as he saw his buddy Takeru walk in with Hikari clutching his arm, he couldn't help but throw the happy couple a sincere smile.

"Hey, Hikari, want to sing something together?" Miyako requested, ecstatic that her friend had returned to maximum cheeriness. "Ken is. . . er. . . out of commission."  
Indeed, Ken was now lying face-down on the stage, his arm dangling over the edge and Ken as a whole reduced to a set piece for the awful rendition of the popular hit "Final Distance" occurring at the moment. The singer broke down into drunken sobs upon seeing Takeru and Hikari join the partygoers as a couple. This was his song for her!

"If I can't sing with my boyfriend then I should be able to sing with my girlfriend!" the boisterous girl declared, causing surrounding schoolmates to blush and spit up their drinks.

"Sorry, Miyako, but didn't you hear?" Hikari winked. "I'm dating Takeru now!"

**The End**

**A/N:** I'll be honest: I was originally going to put the middle segment into the last chapter and cap the story there, but after I got the idea for Party-Hard Ken, I couldn't get that out of my head until I put it on paper. Hope you all enjoyed the story regardless if you did or did not appreciate Ken's low alcohol tolerance though!


End file.
